


wretched things

by anachiel



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Achilles and Briseis AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-22 21:50:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4851695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anachiel/pseuds/anachiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Everything flows and nothing stays."</p>
            </blockquote>





	wretched things

**Author's Note:**

> Not betaed so I apologise for all mistakes.  
> For Becky.

They are in Erik’s tent, on a rare, calm night, when the soldiers are less troubled than usual and the skies are clear. A rare night where Charles can peer into Erik’s mind and not get lost in the constant bloodshed and lust for revenge revolving in it. He feels strangely soothed by it.

He unthinkingly reaches for Erik’s hand, unselfconscious and sleepy, the legion’s thoughts a white noise in his head.

He’s surprised by how unsurprised he is when Erik takes a hold of his hand.

 

* * *

 

The week Charles spends with Shaw is a dizzying, terrifying blur.

They break into Erik’s tent and roughly manhandle him into a carriage. He tries to make them let go of him, force the command ‘ _release me_ ,’ into their minds but finds that he can’t.

It’s only after he’s brought to Shaw he understands why, but by then it’s too late.

Shaw pulls him close and holds him in place with inhuman strength. Charles tries to struggle out of his hold, but it only makes Shaw tighten his grip in warning, just enough for it to hurt. The unsubtle threat makes Charles flinch. He stills.

Shaw crushes Charles against his chest and leans in, his breath ghosting on Charles’ ear.

‘What a pretty Gift you have, little priest.’ Shaw mutters and Charles has to keep himself from recoiling in disgust. Shaw draws back to look Charles in the eyes, his gaze flicking down to his lips before raising a hand to Charles’ lips and tracing them gently. Then Shaw takes his helmet off and Charles can finally _see_ his mind. Before he can reach out to grasp it though, the helmet is on his own head and he loses any thoughts beyond the utter _emptiness_ in his mind.

He distantly remembers being taken to a cell and spending hours screaming before _something_ –not a soldier he doesn’t feel any minds and it’s all wrongwrong _wrong-_ knocks him out.

There is a flash; he remembers being brought to Shaw’s throne room. He sees Erik, but it _can’t_ be – where Erik’s mind is battle hardened and ordered and familiar, this figure in front of him is just _blank_ -. He catches little snatches of conversation, a voice saying ‘You touch him and you won’t live to see tomorrow.’ before he loses consciousness once more.

 

* * *

 

He claws the walls until his nails break, scratches his arms until skin rips and blood oozes out with a trickle to remember what is real and what is not.

 

He witnesses Erik in battle only once.

He searches for Erik in the midst of the gory chaos he never wanted to be a part of but is in the dead middle of it nonetheless. He regrets it the moment his eyes fall upon Erik’s face.

The grace he uses his Gift with is absolutely breath taking. His enemies’ weapons taking a life of their own and slaying them quickly, efficiently is nothing but horrifying.  But his eyes, stormy with concentration, his face a blank mask which doesn’t betray any emotion he feels (if he feels anything at all) is what makes Charles realize that for the first time in his life, he’s terrified of someone other than Gods.

 

* * *

 

Once, he asks Erik what he’s fighting for. The relaxed expression he only got to see after weeks of trying is gone so suddenly that Charles doesn’t even have a chance to understand what just happened. The loosened shields around Erik’s mind turn into the steel walls Charles had gotten so used to when he was first captured –but not before he catches flashes of panic and fear, _mama, please nonono_ -.

Erik simply says, ‘Revenge,’ and leaves the tent.

 

* * *

 

Raven’s death is a hard blow on them all, and it’s the first and the last time he sees Erik so remorseful and furious. He knows Erik will hold someone responsible as he always does. What he doesn’t know is that it will be his cousin Alex.

He begs for Erik not to do it, to please spare Alex, but his pleas fall to deaf ears.

He gets the news of Alex’s death the day after that, and mourns.

 

* * *

 

There is a night, where it feels like they’re suspended in time and space, where nothing exists other than just them in Erik’s (their) tent. Where he reaches for Erik, calls his name like a prayer – like a curse, and whispers in the privacy of the night for Erik not to leave him. Erik reaches for him too, and they meet unhurriedly, silently, but Charles knows deep inside that Erik’s response is ‘ _I can’t_.’.

 

* * *

 

‘We’re going to have a lot of fun together, _sweetheart_.’

He’s at Shaw’s hands again, and the psi-blocking helmet does nothing to dampen the filthy promises Shaw makes.

Erik’s arrival is a blur –it happens so fast, the soldiers dying by their own swords which Erik controls, Shaw letting go of him and the damned helmet falling to the ground- and he’s got a hold of Shaw’s mind.

He turns off Shaw’s gift and feels Erik’s sword Pierce Shaw’s (his) heart.

 

* * *

 

He’s dizzy and in pain, and just has a moment to see Scott getting ready to unleash his gift on Erik.

He can only let out a small cry as Scott fires and Erik’s arms go lax around him with a gasp of pain.

He takes Erik’s face in his hands, tracing his cheekbones and doesn’t even realise he’s crying before Erik raises a hand to wipe a tear from his face.

‘Run, Charles,’ Erik says, ‘get as far away from here as you can,’ but Charles is shaking his head before Erik can finish. He finds he can’t speak, words simply stuck his lungs.

Erik frames his face with his hands, and words finally come tumbling forth.

‘No Erik please you have to come with me, you promised you would never leave me Erik _please-‘_

Erik shushes him with a thumb on his lower lip and leans in for a chaste kiss. Charles can taste blood in his mouth. He chokes on a sob.

Then Erik is falling onto Charles, strength leaving his limbs at last as he whispers, ‘Live for me, Charles.’

Erik’s eyes close. Charles puts his head upon his chest, memories of restless nights the strong and steady beat of his lover’s heart lulled him to sleep fresh in his mind, and weeps.

 


End file.
